This invention relates generally to construction toy sets and particularly to the connecting elements used therein.
Construction toy sets are well known in the art and have been extremely popular with children of various ages for many years. Early construction toy sets were relatively primitive being fabricated of wooden elements in combinations of block, dowels, pins, pegs and panels. Through the years however, more modem and often more complex molded plastic construction toy sets have been developed. While the variety of construction toy sets produced by practitioners in the art is virtually endless, such construction toy sets all generally include a plurality of structural elements utilized in combination with various connecting mechanisms. The connecting mechanisms facilitate the assembly of the plural elements into a variety of generally larger structures, figures or other toys such as vehicles or the like.
Construction toy sets are often endorsed and encouraged by child development experts due to the many developmental activities which they encourage. These developmental activities include the exercise of spatial relationships, geometric form recognition and manipulation, as well as structural analysis together with imagination and creativity. Not surprisingly, the long term popularity and developmental benefits provided by construction toy sets has prompted practitioners in the toy arts to develop a dizzying array of construction toy sets. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,177 issued to Wengel sets forth a CONSTRUCTION GAME having a plurality of generally planar elements defining reduced web sections about the edges thereof together with a plurality of somewhat resilient connectors formed to define multiple radial slots. The reduced web sections of the planar elements are receivable within the radial slots of the resilient connectors to provide interconnection and assembly of more complex structures.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,564,758 issued to Willis sets forth POLYGONAL BUILDING ELEMENTS WITH CONNECTORS THEREFOR FOR ASSEMBLING TOY STRUCTURES having variously shaped connectors such as triangles, rectangles or octagons each of which defines a plurality of inwardly extending slots for receiving inserted planar structural elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,748 issued to Thomas sets forth a PLAYGROUND ASSEMBLY SET consisting of a plurality of planar elements of at least two different sizes. One element is substantially larger than the other element and both elements define notches in strategic locations. The cooperating notches facilitate the connection between the elements to form more complex structures.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,370 issued to Ellefson sets forth an APPARATUS FOR INTERLOCKING STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS OF TOY DISKS having a relatively thin flat structural member defining inwardly extending notches for receiving cooperating thin flat elements. The notches define inwardly extending bosses on either side of the notches while the thin flat body defines voids on each side of the slots. The voids facilitate the expansion of the interior portion of the slots to facilitate element insertion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,868 issued to Levinrad sets forth CONSTRUCTIONAL KITS having elongated connectors and cooperating panels. The elongated connectors are incapable of mutual joining but are structured to join to the panels. The elongated connectors comprise elongated bodies having longitudinal groves which receive the edge portions of the interconnecting panels in a tight fit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,219 issued to Glickman sets forth a CONSTRUCTION TOY having a plurality of hub-like connectors together with a plurality of elongated structural elements. The hub-like connectors define one or more gripping sockets which cooperate with the end portions of the structural members to facilitate attachment therebetween which allows the structural members to rotate about its major axis.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,756 issued to Krog sets forth a TOY CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM having a plurality of elongated building elements each having a receiving notch at the end portion thereof. The construction set further includes a plurality of interconnecting elements each supporting a plurality of outwardly extending head structures. The head structures are fabricated to be receivable within the end notches in a snap-fit attachment.
Additional examples of construction toy sets are found in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 285,463 issued to Davis; U.S. Pat. No. 5,681,201 issued Choi; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,416B1issued to Cleaver et al.
In a somewhat related art, practitioners have endeavored to provide various structures and display enclosures formed of interconnecting combinations of panels. While the need and challenges of such structures and display enclosures is often substantially different than the corresponding needs and objectives of construction toy sets, surprisingly similar structural elements and combinations have been developed in this art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,958 issued to ChiChe sets forth a SPHERICAL JUNCTION ELEMENT FOR COMPOSABLE DISPLAY STRUCTURES having a body defining at least one partially spherical outside surface, at least one flat outside surface intersecting the partially spherical surface, at least one slot formed in the partially spherical surface which is perpendicular to the flat surface and which receives therein a plate-like component member.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 277,727 issued to Kiaric sets forth a CONSTRUCTION JOINT having a generally spherical body defining a plurality of inwardly extending radial slots. The body further defines an axial passage generally parallel to the slots and extending through a major diameter of the spherical body.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,687,500 issued to Silvius sets forth CONNECTING CONSTRUCTION FOR SHEET MEMBERS utilized in interconnecting mutually perpendicular materials. The connectors comprise small planar elements defining inwardly slots at ninety degree intervals. Each connector may be formed as a one piece plate of rigidly flexible and deformable material or may have one or more plates of flexible material between clamping plates of stiffer material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,365,454 issued to Davis sets forth a CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM consisting of a plurality of flat main bodies having recesses formed in the edges thereof together with a centrally hinged connecting member having opposed planar portions which fit into to recesses to provide interconnection between the flat main bodies.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,182 issued to Pasin sets forth a TEMPORARY STRUCTURE formed of plurality of panels each having rod formations along certain edges thereof. A plurality of elongated joining devices define slots which receive the supporting rods for the panels. Connectors are utilized for receiving the respective end portions of the frame members in a interconnecting manner to form a combined structure of closure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,181 issued to Hunts and U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,139 issued to Hsiao, each set forth multiply slotted structural connectors utilized in forming combined structures having a plurality of planar elements therein.
Additional structural elements for fabricating various structures such as enclosures or display cases are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,472,365 issued to Angle; 4,557,091 issued to Auer; 1,818,404 issued to Kaufman; 6,283,456B1 issued to Benz et al.; 5,222,902 issued to Piersch and 4,291,512 issued to Walton.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,761 issued to Schauer and U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,953B1 issued to Landreth et al. each set forth methods for joining plastic material.
Despite the substantial development of construction toy sets such as those described above and the related structures found in other arts also set forth above, construction toy sets remain limited by the need for balancing competing needs of simplicity and ease of assembly or disassembly on the one hand and strength and rigidity of the assembled structures on the other hand. For the most part, construction toy sets are designed to provide characteristics which are, in effect, designed compromise between these competing needs. The need for ease and simplicity of assembly or disassembly is particularly acute in construction toy sets intended for use with younger children.
There arises therefore a continuing need in art for evermore improved construction toy sets. A more particular need arises for construction toy sets having ease of assembly or disassembly together with security and strength of fabricated structures.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved construction toy set. It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide an improved construction toy set which is particularly adapted for use by younger children. It is a still more particular object of the present invention to provide an improved construction toy set which facilitates ease of insertion or low insertion force between the structural elements and connecting elements while simultaneously providing relatively rigid and secure fabricated structures.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a construction toy set comprising: a plurality of connecting bodies each defining a three-dimensional body having an outer surface and a plurality of slots each extending inwardly from the outer surface and each terminating within the body in an enlarged undercut portion; and a plurality of generally planar plate members each having opposed surfaces and outer edges, the edges being configured and sized to be inserted into selected ones of the slots, the bodies being formed of a resilient material such that the slots deform elastically when one of the edges is inserted into one of the slots to secure the connecting body to the plate member, combinations of the plate members being joined by the connecting bodies to form toy structures.
In accordance with an alternative view of the present invention, there is provided a construction toy set comprising: a plurality of connecting bodies each defining a three-dimensional body having an outer surface, a passage through the three-dimensional body and a plurality of slots each extending inwardly from the outer surface and each terminating within the body in an enlarged undercut portion; a plurality of generally planar plate members each having opposed surfaces and outer edges, the edges including edge portions configured and sized to be inserted into selected ones of the slots; a head member having a face portion, a passage and an interior cavity for receiving a portion of a selected one of the connecting bodies; and an elongated rod sized to fit within the passages, the bodies being formed of a resilient material such that the slots deform elastically when one of the edge portions is inserted into one of the slots to secure the connecting body to the plate member, combinations of the plate members being joined by the connecting bodies to form portions of toy figures including appendages, the connecting bodies being stacked in a vertical array with the rod passing through the passages and the head member being received upon the uppermost one of the connecting bodies.
In accordance with a still further alternate perspective of the present invention, there is provided a construction toy set comprising: a plurality of connecting bodies each defining a three-dimensional body having an outer surface and a plurality of slots each extending inwardly from the outer surface and each of the slots terminating within the body in an enlarged undercut portion, the slots each further including a pair of resilient flexible ribs having interior surfaces forming interior sides of the slot and a pair of relief slots adjacent each of the flexible ribs, the relief slots providing clearance between the ribs and the surrounding portions of the body to facilitate flexing of said ribs; and a plurality of generally planar plate members each having opposed surfaces and outer edges, the edges being configured and sized to be inserted into selected ones of the slots, the body being formed of a resilient material such that the slots deform elastically by flexing of the ribs when one of the edges is inserted into one of the slots to secure the connecting body to the plate member, combinations of the plate members being joined by the connecting bodies to form toy structures.